DA: Marijuana Amendment is More than Meets the Eye

Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 yesterday, which legalizes small amounts of marijuana. As KRCC’s Liz Ruskin reports, the amendment may have unintended consequences.

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The marijuana amendment allows for possession of up to one ounce of pot. But El Paso County District Attorney Dan May says unlike the current medical marijuana law, the new amendment allows retailers to sell to consumers who live out of state. Theoretically, May says, it could mean internet sales from Colorado across the globe.

“The other thing is that under current law you have to be a licensed company in Colorado, and they restrict how big you can get to sell the marijuana at a dispensary. Well, this model allows for any multi-national corporation to come in and franchise. So it’s going to have some huge impacts on Colorado.”

Governor John Hickenlooper issued a statement last night saying the way ahead is complicated, but he intends to respect the voters’ will. Still, he warned, marijuana remains illegal under federal law, so he advises that no one “break out the Cheetos or goldfish too quickly.”

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